It's Our House Now
by dreams and fantasies
Summary: Now that he had Belle back, he had no intention whatsoever of letting her go. Post reunion fluff.


**A/N: This is a gift for fuckingnamechoise, as part of the OUAT secret valentine exchange on tumblr. I hope you like it! Also, I've never written rumbelle before, so I hope this is ok haha. Enjoy everyone!**

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As Rumple led her towards his front door, Belle had to laugh. Back in the enchanted forest, he had an enormous and intimidating castle. It took her forever to clean, especially since it was clear Rumple never cared to do any housework himself. Why he just wouldn't use magic to cook and clean, Belle would never know. Maybe it was a guy thing – men just didn't know what needed to be done to run a household, especially one as large as Rumplestiltskin's estate.

All of this meant Belle was extremely unprepared for the sight in front of her. The house was pink- _pink!_- and while it was a good deal larger than the other houses in the area, it was a fraction of the size of the former castle. It would be much easier to clean, Belle realized happily. She may be more than just a caretaker now, but she was still a woman, and she knew she couldn't count on Rumple dusting the bookshelves anytime soon.

As Belle chuckled over the house's feminine qualities, her love looked on with a mix of amusement and confusion. "Is there something wrong with my house, dearie?" he asked, putting his hand to his heart in an act of faux hurt.

She finally stopped laughing and looked up at him with a brilliant smile. "Not at all, I think it's wonderful," she said warmly. "After all, it's yours." Belle had spent so much time fighting to get back to Rumple, and so much time after that as a tortured soul in a cell without her memories. After all of that, she didn't care if they lived in a box, as long as they could be together.

Rumplestiltskin put one arm around Belle and pulled her close. "Not anymore. It's _our _house now." After a minute of simply holding each other, the dealmaker pulled out his keys and guided Belle inside. He watched as her eyes widened as she took in the house. She looked just like she did in his castle so long ago, he mused, so curious and eager to explore. Back then he found it odd – now he just found it adorable.

Belle had to admit she was impressed – the house was decorated wonderfully, with many unique touches. It could almost be a museum. "I've always had a fondness for antiques," Rumple said. "Twenty eight years gives one a lot of time to acquire a decent collection. Speaking of which, come with me." Suddenly, he grabbed Belle's hand and led her rather quickly down a hallway.

The young woman giggled as she let herself be guided– it was rare to see Rumple act in a way that wasn't completely dignified. It was refreshing. Soon enough, they arrived a gorgeous door, with an intricate handle Belle couldn't help but gawk at. "It's beautiful," she breathed.

The older man smiled, something that was becoming much more of a common occurrence since Belle reentered his life. "I believe that's an adjective more suited for you, dearie," he said simply. "Now, as happy as I am to see you marvel at this door, I think you'll find what's behind it to be much more enjoyable." With that, he gently pushed the door open, revealing an expansive room filled with books.

And a lot of them.

Belle gasped. She had always had a great affinity for reading – it is what lead her to meet Mulan and help rescue Philip, after all. And here she was, surrounded by shelves and shelves of books, all of them from this strange new world, which meant she had never read any of them. Slowly, she approached one of the bookcases, pulling out a novel with an intriguing title, "The Chronicles of Narnia." She had heard tales about that land as a child, but she didn't really know any portal jumpers that could ever truly tell her anything.

As she opened the front cover and begin to look over the first page, she felt two hands come to rest lightly on her shoulders, and she realized how rude she was being. "I'm so sorry, I just got carried away, seeing all these books and I-"

Rumple stopped her by holding a finger to her lips. "Never apologize, dearie," he said. "You are not a prisoner anymore, and I am in no position to tell you what to do. I was simply trying to show you where you may be more comfortable." He guided her to a golden chaise lounge, and insisted on making sure she was all settled. "Now you just sit here," he soothed, "and read all you like. I'll bring you some tea in a moment."

And that's just what they did. Belle sipped her drink and immersed herself in the stories, while Rumple sat in a nearby chair, pretending to do work but really just staring at his love. He was a coward who had a habit of driving away the people he cared about, but now that he had Belle back, he had no intention whatsoever of letting her go.

At one point he made some soup, and they ate in a comfortable silence. They would have to talk eventually, but now was just the time to take comfort in each other's presence, and enjoy a little tranquility – gods knew it wouldn't last very long.

After they were finished, Belle went back into the library, "just one more chapter," she said. Rumple went upstairs to make sure everything was perfect with Belle's things. He had used magic to get her everything he anticipated a young lady would need, since she didn't really have any possessions in this land.

After a while, he went back to the library to check on Belle, only to find her fast asleep, slumped over a novel with many others piled at her feet. He realized how exhausted she must be, and how long it had been since she had slept in a real bed. Grateful he had magic to assist him, he cradled her carefully in one arm and brought her up the wooden stairs.

* * *

Belle woke up with a start. She couldn't believe she had fallen asleep – Rumple must think she was so rude and weird. As her eyes began to adjust to the darkness and she became more aware of herself, she realized she was no longer on the lounge, but rather in a very comfortable bed in a lovely little room. She was also alone.

Quite disoriented, as one tends to be after an unexpected nap, she slowly got up and walked around the room. The view out the window suggested she was on the second floor, but how had Rumple gotten her up the stairs? As soon as she asked the question the answer came to her: magic. Of course.

She looked at the closed door, and suddenly felt a bit claustrophobic. After being in the hospital cell for so long, and Regina's cell before that, she didn't do very well in enclosed spaces by herself. She then remembered the pile of books she had left downstairs.

_Well, there you go. I'll just go down, tidy everything up, maybe walk around, and then go back to bed. With the door cracked open a little._

She had just opened the door and stepped into the hallway when she heard a voice softly say her name. Turning, she spotted Rumple, standing in the doorway of what she assumed to be his own room, which was conveniently located right next to Belle's.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you. I was just going to put away the books I read and…"

"It's all right, dearie, no need to apologize," Rumple interrupted. "And the books are fine. You should just get some sleep."

It was then that Belle realized what she truly needed. "Rumple, could I…"

"Could you what?"

But Belle found that she couldn't speak the words, it was simply too embarrassing. What was she, a child? No, she needed to be mature about this.

As Rumple watched her fidget, he knew exactly what she meant. After all, it was the same thing he wanted – it was the reason he was awake to hear her get up. He hadn't wanted to push her, wanted to give her space, but…

"Belle, would you like to sleep in my room?"

Belle looked up at him with a mixture of hope and fear. "Yes, I think, I think that would be lovely. I mean, that is if you are okay with it. I'm perfectly fine in my room, it's just that-"

"I've missed you," they said together. Belle smiled and slowly walked towards her love, who wrapped her in an embrace before leading her into his lavish bedroom. They got into the king size bed and ended up on their sides, facing each other.

"Rumple," Belle began cautiously, "I don't want you to get the wrong impression. When I said I'd like to sleep in your room, I didn't mean…"

"I know," Rumple assured her. "Just sleep my darling." He snuggled her into his arms, assuming the role of the big spoon, and that is the way they both drifted off, into a deep and comfortable sleep neither of them had experienced in a very long time.

Belle woke up slowly, to the rays of sunshine on her face. Her eyes fluttered open and landed on Rumple's face. Usually very stressed and creased, his face was peaceful as he slept, making Belle smile. She would certainly not mind if this was the first thing she saw every morning for the rest of her life.

She didn't want to get up and risk waking him, so she just lay there for a while, thinking about how different this morning was from so many others in her life. Sure, eventually they would have to deal with the magic that Rumple brought to this land, and all the other issues she's sure Rumple's created, but for now they could just lie in bed, and hold each other. Maybe make breakfast together (if he can show her how to use that contraption he called a 'microwave').

As she began to get lost in her thoughts, she felt a stirring in her arms, and turned around to see Rumple opening his eyes.

"Hello," she said lovingly.

"Good morning, dearie," he replied, and despite living for hundreds of years, in that moment he couldn't help but think that this may the best morning he has ever had.

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**A/N: So, what did you think? Incredibly fluffy, I know, but I think Rumbelle shippers could use a little fluff given all they're going through. Let me know what you thought in reviews, and thanks for reading!**


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